Valve-operating mechanism



" Dec. 8, 1925. 1,564,531

. W. E. CONCANNON VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 12. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR /V/7//'a 6 Coma/mm,

\ ATTORNEY Dec 8,1925. 1,564,531 w E. CONCANNON VALVE OPERATINGMECHANISM Filed Sept. 12. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 45 A 7701mm 1 PatentedDec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ l 1 WILLIAM E. CONCANNON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF T0 THOMAS G. CONCA'NNON, OF EMPORIA, KANSAS.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed September 12, 1923. Serial No; 662,196. 7

To all ivhomz't may concern:

Be it known that I. VVILLIAM E. CoNoAN- .NoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Operating Mechanism; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a thermostat for controlling the effectiveport openings of fluid conduits so that the effective port area may beclosed, opened or varied in response to temperature.

The invention is primarily designed to vary the effective port areaorthrottle for feeding fuel to internal combustion engines and in itspreferred embodiment it is shown as applied in connection with theneedle valve of a motor vehicle carbureter such as is now made by theFord Motor Company of Detroit, Michigan, although I do not wish to belimited to any particular application of my invention, the noveltyrather being in the broad application of the device, so while I willhereinafter specifically describe the parts in detail, I would have itunderstood the changes in form, proportion and minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of myinvention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a thermostat applied to the manifold ofan internal combustion engine, parts being broken away to illustrate theexpansible elements.

Fig. 2 is a view through the needle valve operating mechanism carried bythe extension on the end of the thermostat block.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the thermostat block andthrough a clamping member applied to an intake manifold, the intakemanifold being also shown in section.

Fig. 1 is a detailed perspective view of one end of a thermostaticlever.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in sectionthrough one end of a thermostatic element.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of two thermostatic elements, a swingingfinger and a movement compounding lever.

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a slightly modified form ofthermostat.

form of stop for one of the. thermostatic elements.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view through the bearing block which carries thepinion for operating the needle valve. In the preferred form of myinvention, I employ a heat conducting block 1 which may be of anappropriate construction and which may be held in intimate contact withthe intake manifold 2 of an internal combustion engine by a singleclamping bolt 3 passing through a clamping member 4 bearing against themanifold and which may be drawn tightly against the intake manifold 2and against the exhaust manifold 2' b the bolt 3 and the nut 5 so thatthe block 1 will be maintained in intimate contact with the manifolds.The block is provided with Fig. 8 1s a fragmentary view of a modifiedcurved faces 6 and 7 so it will lie close to the manifold 2 and conductheat from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold. The block isshown as provided with two longitudinal elongated openings or seats 8and 9 in which are located two expansible members or rods 10 and 11.These members are adapted to expand or grow longitudinally under theaction of heat due to the fact that they have a high co-eificient ofexpansion. The member 10 has one end abutting against a stop 12, theother end bearing against a pivoted finger 13, the toe of which bearsagainst a lever 14, pivoted to the block at 15, one end of the lever 11being provided with a seat 16 to receive the end of the expansibleelement 11, the opposite end of the expansible element 11 bears againstthe finger 17 of a rock shaft 18 mounted in the block 1 and in thebracket 19, fastened to the block 1. The ends of the ex pansible elementare provided with hardened ends 20- to eliminate the tendency to wearand in the event wear does take place the new contacting ends or screwscan be substituted for the worn ones. The rock shaft 18 carries adepending lever arm 21 to the lower end of which is pivoted a flat link22, also engaging a rack bar 23 meshing with pinion teeth 24 on thesleeve 25 which is fastened to the stem 26 of the valve operator 27, theportion 28 of the stem being flexible so that when the carbureter 29heats up tending to move the carbureter needle movement to the rack 23,

valve 30 out of alignment with portion 26 of the stem of the fork 27,the flexible portion 28 will compensate for the mis-alignment. Thesleeve 25 is rotatably secured in a block 31 through which two adjustingbolts 32 and 33 project. The bolts 32 and 33 are hollow bolts or sleeveswhich are in threaded engagen'lent with the block 31 and whiclrbearagainst washers 35, in frictional engagement with the extension 36 onthe block 1. The bolts 37 extend through the bolts 32 and 33 and haveheads 38 overlapping the slot 39 in the extension 36 through which thebolts 37 project. The outer ends of the sleeve bolts 32 and 33 havecollars 40 against which the nuts 41 on the threaded ends 42 of thebolts 37 engage. Therefore when the nuts 41 are tightened the block 31is clamped to the extension 36 by the sleeve bolts, the washers 35 andthe head 38 on the bolts 37. By this arrangement the longitudinaladjustment of the block 1 may be made from the front side of theextension 36 which is a very convenient method of making the adjustment.The lever arm 21 is normally urged in one position by a tension spring43, one end of which engages the ear 44 on the lever 21 and the otherwhich is anchored to the block 1 as at 45, the thermostatic elements andlltend to urge the lever arm 21 in a direction opposite to that urged bythe spring 43. lVhen the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1 theneedle valve for the carbureter 29 will initially be open to admit themaximum amount of gasoline to the intake manifold for which the valve isset. As the intake. manifold heats up the heat will be communicated tothe block 1 in intimate contact with the intake manifold 2 and as thisheat is communicated to the thermostatic element 10 and 11 they willexpand longitudinally. The element 10 will expand against the finger 13and since the toe of the lever is near the pivot the end of the lever 14carrying the seat 16 will move through a greater are than its oppositeend so as to tend to move the thermostatic element 11 from left toright, whereas the thermostatic element 10 expands from right to leftand since the thermostatic element 11 will also expand under theinfluence of heat, a compound leverage or multiplying motion will eprovided against the finger 17 so as to swing the lever on 21. Since thefinger or projection 17 is a relatively short finger and since the arm21 is a relatively long arm, it will be apparent that the result of thecompounding leverage willbe that a relatively slight movement of thethermostatic element 10 and the thermostatic element 11 will impart arelatively large motion or therefore the regulating device will be qultesensitive because slight variations in temperature of the block wearer 1will cause variations in the effective port area closed by the needlevalve The needle valve 30 is illustrated as a conventional form ofcarbureter needle valve and it is engaged by the forked member 27 sothat when the pinion 24 is rotated the stem for needle valve 30 will berotated. I am aware that hot points, stoves and similar devices havebeen employed priorto my invention for regulating the quantity ofgasoline admitted to the intake manifold so I do not claim such aconstruction in its broadest sense. My invention resides moreparticularly in the certain refinements which make for efficiency,inexpensive manufacture and in surety of operation. The invention hasheretofore been described more particularly to motor vehicles but thesame principle with the attendant advantages may be utilized inconnection with locomotive steam boilers. Locomotive steam boilersfrequently explode due to the fact that the water in the boiler getslow, while the crown sheet gets hot above the water line, then as thereis a sudden surge of water against the crown sheet the crown sheet actsas a flash boiler building up the pressure suddenly and causing anexplosion. Vith slight modifications my invention is adapted toeliminate possibility of explosion and I have shown a modified form inFig. 7 consisting of the block 46 in which are thermostatic elements 47and 48, one end of the thermostatic element 47 abuts against the stop49, the opposite end being adapted to contact with the lever 50 pivotedat 51 and having an end 52 to act as a movable stop for the element 48,one end of the. movable element 48 bears against a finger 53 on the rockshaft 54, the rock shaft 54 carries an arm 55 corresponding to the arm21 and it is urged in one position by a s ring 56, the lower end of thearm 55 may e connected to a valve for exhausting steam from the boilerin the fire box so as to snuff out the fire. The block 54 will besecured in an appropriate. manner to the crown sheet so when the crownsheet becomes too hot the thermostatic mechanism will operate to snuffout the fire in the fire box and thus prevent an explosion.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified form of stop arrangement in which ascrew 57 is rotated in the end of the block 1, so that the end of thethermostatic element 10 or 47 as the case may becan abut against itinstead of against the stop 12 or 49. It will be apparent from theforegoing that the device may be applied to an existing typ of enginewithout materially altering its con struction and it is also adapted tobe used in cmnection with locomotive boilers if desire By providing theadjustable stop 57,' it will beapparent that the device'can be set tooperate at difl'erent temperatures.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secureby Letters-Patent is It. In a deviceof the class described, a

' plurality of parallel co-operating longituconnected to the lever arm,a spring con nected to the lever arm and anchored at one end, a rackconnected to the link, a laterally adjustable bracket, a stem mounted inthe bracket, a pinion on the stem en gaging the 'rack and means on thestem for engagement with the needle valve of a carburetor.

2. In a device of the class described. the

combination of a block, means for attaching the block to the exhaustmanifold of an internal combustion engine, a plurality of parallelco-operating longitudinally expansible thermostatic elements havingmovement compounding means between them, a pivoted lever arm having anoffset bearing against one end of one of the longitudinally expansiblethermostatic elements, a slotted bracket member carried by the block, ablock longitudinally adjustable in the slotted bracket member, a pinionmounted in the block, a stemcarried thereby, a rack engaging the pinionreceiving its motion from the lever arm and means on the stem forengagement with the needle valve of a carburetor.

3. In a device of the class described, a

block having means for attachment to the exhaust manifold of an internalcombustion engine, longitudinally expansible thermostatic means carriedby the block, a lever arm pivoted to the block having an ofisetengageable by the thermostatic means to move the lever arm in onedirection, a spring for retracting the lever arm in the oppo sitedirection, a link carried by the lower end of the lever arm, a rackconnected to the link, a slotted bracket member carried by the block ablock laterally adjustable in the slotted bracket member, a stem in theblock having a pinion engaging the rack and means on the stem forengagement with the needle valve of a carburetor.

l. In a device of the class described. a block, means for attaching theblock to the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine,thermostatic means carried by the block, a rotatable stem, means fortransmitting motion from the thermostatic means to the stein, a slottedbracket member on the block, a second block supporting the stem,threaded sleeves passing through the block and binding against theslotted bracket member, the bores of the sleeves being in line with theslot, bolts having their heads bearing 'againrt the back face of thebracket member With their threaded ends projccting through the forwardends of the sleeve, and nuts on the threaded ends of the bolts, thesleeveshaving polygonal portions adjacent to the nuts soothat adjustmentof the sleeves and bolts may be made from the front side of the bracketmember.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM E. CONCANNON.

